A year after a wave of nationally coordinated anti-Trump demonstrations spread across the country, a Longview-based organizing group is pointing to April 5, 2025 as a turning point for local civic action.
In a short post titled “Hands Off!”, Cascade Forward (formerly branded online as “Cascade Forward Project”) wrote that Longview’s April 5, 2025 demonstration was the community’s first “50501” protest — shorthand for “50 protests, 50 states, one day” — and said turnout exceeded 300 people, surprising organizers who “didn’t know what to expect.” The post was published under the byline of Austin Pressley. (Source: https://www.cascadeforwardproject.org/journal/blog-post-title-one-8pty3)
The “50501” label has been used nationally for a decentralized series of anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy demonstrations that began in early 2025, with major days of action including Feb. 5, Feb. 17, and March 4, 2025. Washington State Standard reported that an Olympia 50501-related protest on March 4, 2025 drew an estimated 2,300 people, citing the state Department of Enterprise Services. (Source: https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/protesters-rally-against-trump-at-washington-state-capitol/)
What happened in Longview
Cascade Forward’s post does not list an exact location, but local discussion at the time places the April 5, 2025 “Hands Off” gathering at Longview’s Civic Circle/RA Long Park area. A widely shared thread in the r/Longview community forum described “great turn out” at “the Civic Circle,” with commenters also mentioning parking constraints and estimating a larger crowd. (Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Longview/comments/1jsdhwm/hands_off/)
Separately, Cascade Forward’s own website describes the group as having “grew out of the biggest protests Longview, WA has seen,” and lists recurring “Community Stand” demonstrations at “RA Long Park / Longview Civic Circle.” (Source: https://www.cascadeforwardproject.org/)
Why it matters locally
For Cowlitz County, the significance isn’t just the national branding — it’s what sustained turnout says about local willingness to organize beyond election cycles. Even in a region often stereotyped as politically quiet or conservative, the April 5, 2025 event appears to have brought hundreds of residents into a shared public space to voice opposition to federal power grabs, billionaire influence, and attacks on civil liberties.
From a left-libertarian lens, public demonstrations can be a civic check on concentrated power — especially when they are nonviolent, community-based, and paired with mutual aid. The question for 2026 is whether that energy translates into durable local protections: stronger worker solidarity, expanded tenant and housing protections, meaningful sanctuary practices, and refusal by local government to collaborate with abusive federal enforcement.
What we can (and can’t) verify
Cascade Forward’s post provides a clear claim — “over 300 people” — but does not cite an independent headcount method. Social media accounts from the same day show strong turnout, though crowd estimates vary. Without contemporaneous reporting from local government, law enforcement, or a neutral on-scene count, the exact number should be treated as an organizer estimate.
Still, the available evidence supports the core fact pattern: a “Hands Off” protest occurred in Longview on April 5, 2025, connected to the national 50501 mobilization, and drew a crowd large enough to be widely noticed and discussed locally.
Sources
- Cascade Forward Project Journal, “Hands Off!” (Apr. 5, 2025): https://www.cascadeforwardproject.org/journal/blog-post-title-one-8pty3
- Cascade Forward website (events and description): https://www.cascadeforwardproject.org/
- Washington State Standard brief on March 4, 2025 Olympia rally (includes DES estimate): https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/protesters-rally-against-trump-at-washington-state-capitol/
- Community discussion thread referencing Longview Civic Circle “Hands Off” turnout (April 5, 2025): https://www.reddit.com/r/Longview/comments/1jsdhwm/hands_off/
Correction note: If you have photos or documentation showing an official crowd estimate (for example, a permit filing, city communication, or organizer count methodology), we will update this piece with the most precise figure available.
